New beginnings - 25% Truth, 80% Bollocks

[STFC_Manc]

There were plenty of positive people until the bullshit of the summer. The club/trust have to look at themselves for facilitiating fans' cynicism.

Yeah as I said they no longer post/deleted their account

[CotswoldsCJ]

It seems strange that the trust have been silent on the subject of reviewing the financial information. Particularly as they’ve been asked directly on twitter this week

[RobertT]

It's become a bit of an echo chamber with only 'skeptical' people left

The problem is the lack of concrete, verifiable and factual evidence to support anything strategic that would provide a positive outlook on the future for the club.

You'd think the ground would at least offer something on that front, but they best they seem able to do after a few years of planning (the deal to buy was on the cards for some time) and many months of actually owning it, is to submit a planning application for a big TV.

The stated aims of having a top class Academy was something that fans may have got interested in, but the only movement on that front that we have seen is a bit of scaffolding put up in Calne, a dodgy looking deal in Pakistan and some fluff about Australia (which appears to be a training day hosted by Gav Gunning for a private Academy in a suburb of Sydney).  Now, I am sure it will be more than that, but that is all we can actually point to right now - nothing has been published to show the long term strategy, what investment we are making, how that investment is going to be used and what the outcomes we expect will be.

The club ownership is doing very little to put real strategies in place, with descriptions of how we will implement them and what we should all expect to see as a result.  We seem to running a Field of Dreams type operation on the public front, while supporting it with a Bring and Buy Sale Blue Peter effort in the Accounts dept.

I would love to be getting excited about what a 20m new Town End will be like, supported by the 2m investment in refurbs expected to be completed before that starts.  How it increases our Revenue by 20% through extra corporate hospitality and non-matchday event sales.  Or how our 2m a year investment in the Academy, at home and abroad, is going to ensure we deliver two first team ready pro's per year within the next 4 years as we see a brand new training facility delivered alongside an enhanced recruitment team and a Visa/Scholarship path created in Australia to suck in the best talent available in NSW.  I'd love to understand that our recruitment group for the first team have a top three budget for L2 given to them, but also an expectation that we will be selling a player each year that we have improved to help fund that, alongside improved partnerships with several Championship/Prem teams to ensure first dibs on top level young talent for loans and perm deals.  And so on.

[STFC_Manc]

While I agree with a lot of what you said, these things all take time, especially when you inherit probably one of the poorest run clubs in the leagues. 

For example, the stadium purchase took up a lot of time and energy to get over the line I'm sure.  So to say they have had all this time is a bit of a stretch.

[Audrey]

Taking the cynical view, if it’s silent it almost certainly means there’s nothing positive to say.

But we only have to look down the M4 to see that even a decade or so of positive ownership can soon slip back into disaster.

[RobertT]

While I agree with a lot of what you said, these things all take time, especially when you inherit probably one of the poorest run clubs in the leagues.  

For example, the stadium purchase took up a lot of time and energy to get over the line I'm sure.  So to say they have had all this time is a bit of a stretch.

Clem has been an investor for years.  He specifically had eyes on the stadium development and building links in Australia before becoming owner.

The sale of the ground was agreed a year ago.

The Academy investment has had nothing publicly shared other than the Scaffolding and some shooting nets, which have been delayed for months.  Both of which are being "gifted" in return for sponsorship.

Sorry, but over two years since taking ownership of a club you were already a significant investor in, and nothing of note being produced is pretty poor.  I'm not talking on the field and I'm not talking about the fact someone had a lot of bills to pay.  It does not take over two years to develop comprehensive strategic plans.  If it does, you end up fighting operational and tactical wildfires, just like they are.  Some CEO's get less time than that in total, let alone to build out a plan.

[No Longer Posh Red]

From what I’ve heard they have had a bit of to & fro with a third party company that are working on the proposed development. I guess the problem is you don’t want to publish half baked plans, but it’s almost as bad to publish nothing.

About the only concrete thing that has changed is that the catering in the ground has improved slightly and that the income from it is now going to the club. Oh, and we’re now allowed to keep our bottle tops (in the DRS at least)

[RobertT]

Taking the cynical view, if it’s silent it almost certainly means there’s nothing positive to say.

But we only have to look down the M4 to see that even a decade or so of positive ownership can soon slip back into disaster.

They are a very good reason that supporters Trust should always be critical of current ownership, even if it looks great on the surface.  The industry attracts some right fuckwits, far too much is kept secret in the sport and every club is only one ownership change away from being pillaged.  Even a well meaning owner can leave a mess, as Clem is finding, the sport sucks you dry if you are not ready for it.

[Bennett]

Did we ever see a short to long term plan from the club?

[ThreeDrawsMentality]

Did we ever see a short to long term plan from the club?

They did communicate one to a degree, but it was in a corporate pack for sponsorship rather than communicated directly to fans. Sure it was distributed in the summer.

[STFC_Manc]

Clem has been an investor for years.  He specifically had eyes on the stadium development and building links in Australia before becoming owner.

The sale of the ground was agreed a year ago.

The Academy investment has had nothing publicly shared other than the Scaffolding and some shooting nets, which have been delayed for months.  Both of which are being "gifted" in return for sponsorship.

Sorry, but over two years since taking ownership of a club you were already a significant investor in, and nothing of note being produced is pretty poor.  I'm not talking on the field and I'm not talking about the fact someone had a lot of bills to pay.  It does not take over two years to develop comprehensive strategic plans.  If it does, you end up fighting operational and tactical wildfires, just like they are.  Some CEO's get less time than that in total, let alone to build out a plan.

Yeah you are right, nothing has been achieved.

1) Purchased the stadium with the supporters
2) Paid off £6-7m of debt
3) Rebuilt the staffing of the club (although we are still thin on the ground)
4) The womens team is now within the club and being supported
5) Investment in the stadium to fix issues that had been neglected for years

Now I'm sure the club could have achieved more but I think you have to be realistic, Clem doesn't have money to throw about and things take longer because of that.

[Bennett]

They did communicate one to a degree, but it was in a corporate pack for sponsorship rather than communicated directly to fans. Sure it was distributed in the summer.

Thanks!
It's in the April 23 AB notes https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/siteassets/2022-23/documents/advisory-board-april-2023.pdf

[Bennett]

2) Paid off £6-7m of debt

Correction - converted debt to an interest free loan payable to Clem

[Audrey]

Yeah you are right, nothing has been achieved.

1) Purchased the stadium with the supporters
2) Paid off £6-7m of debt
3) Rebuilt the staffing of the club (although we are still thin on the ground)
4) The womens team is now within the club and being supported
5) Investment in the stadium to fix issues that had been neglected for years

Now I'm sure the club could have achieved more but I think you have to be realistic, Clem doesn't have money to throw about and things take longer because of that.

Well, paying off that amount of debt isn’t really true. It’s only been shifted around. The club now owe Clem.

[Bennett]

Well, paying off that amount of debt isn’t really true. It’s only been shifted around. The club now owe Clem.

did we just become best friends?